Möt mig där jag är - Personer med ett polyamoröst relationssätt berättar om sina upplevelser av psykoterapi

Sammanfattning: This study aims to investigate polyamorous individuals’ experiences of psychotherapy. We inquired whether attitudes towards polyamory may influence the therapeutic relationship, and clients’ experiences of being open about their polyamorous lifestyle. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants who are polyamorous and have experience of psychotherapy. The study is based on a hermeneutic phenomenological approach and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze the data. Four main themes were identified: Being able to be yourself, Standing outside the therapists’ attitude of mononormativity, Getting your identity in speech and Wish to make polyamory visible. The results show that the most important aspects of being accepted and feeling comfortable as a client depended on the therapist’s capacity to use the same language, to show a willingness to understand the client and to be able to enter into the clients’ reality without prejudice. Many of the participants described the presence of mononormative attitudes during therapy. This made them feel deviant and therefore willing to censor themselves. The informants wished for more knowledge amongst therapists about polyamory and mononormativity.